Musings on ethical management, inspired by stories and teachings from the Jewish mystical masters.

Friday, January 2, 2009

A Couple of Short Stories

Here is a story about the limits of management:

Rabbi Israel Salant, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, once sat with his fellow rabbis discussing their congregations. Rabbi Israel listened as the other rabbis told of struggles with their rebellious and unruly flocks.

“I have no such problem,” he volunteered. “I have full confidence that my congregation will follow any command I give.”

The other rabbis looked at him quizzically. “What is the source of your confidence?” they asked.

“It is simple,” answered Rabbi Israel with a smile. “I never give my congregation any command I do not think they will follow.”

"There's a story about Reb Meir Premishlaner – he would hike daily up an icy slope to use the Mikvah (ritual bath). Despite already being an older man, he seemed to make the trip with great ease – an act which prompted a group of youths to attempt the difficult trip themselves. They, however, were unable to successfully make the trek, and returned to the town bruised and sore. When asked how he managed to make the trip, the Tzaddik replied, 'One who is tied above does not fall below.'"

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About Me

Moshe Kranc has worked in high-tech for 30 years, with 20 years in management positions in both the United States and Israel.
Moshe was part of the Emmy-award-winning team that designed the scrambling system for DIRECTV and holds 5 patents in areas related to pay television and computer security. He lectures at the Jerusalem College of Technology and Bezalel Academy, has published numerous technical articles, and was a member of The Association for Computing Machinery’s Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights.
Storytelling is part of Moshe’s heritage – family tradition has it that he is descended from Rabbi Jacob Kranc, the Magid of Dubno, an 18th century itinerant preacher known as “the Jewish Aesop.” For many years, Moshe has enjoyed collecting, reading and re-telling Hasidic stories to family, friends and colleagues. He has a unique perspective on the juncture of high-tech management and Hasidic tales, and the imagination to believe that they have something in common.